Albenrezension

In music, certain terms are often used interchangeably even though they don't quite mean the same thing. Merengue and bachata are not identical, but they're very similar — and one often hears of the Dominican Republic's "merengue/bachata scene." Similarly, doom metal and stoner rock are very close relatives even though they aren't identical twins. And while death metal and black metal aren't exactly the same thing, the two are closely related and can very easily be combined — which is what Crionics (a Polish band with a very Scandinavian sound) do on their second album, Armageddon's Evolution. Stylistically, Armageddon's Evolution is not a major departure from their previous album, Human Error: Ways to Self Destruction; Crionics still favor a mixture of death metal and black metal (perhaps a bit more black metal than death metal) that goes for the jugular. One hears death metal's deep, guttural growls as well as black metal's evil-sounding rasp — and the dark, ominous, foreboding harmonics that are a main ingredient of black metal are used effectively on Armageddon's Evolution. Although Crionics use keyboards and offer some occasional nods to melody, it would be a mistake to think of this 2005 release as either melodic death metal or symphonic black metal — their work isn't that intricate or that musical. When all is said and done, Armageddon's Evolution is about brute force and bombast — not intricacy or melody — and while Crionics aren't the least bit groundbreaking, they are good at what they do. Armageddon's Evolution isn't in a class with the best albums of Emperor or Dark Funeral (two major influences), but it's a decent, if predictable and derivative, example of Crionics' ability to unite black metal and death metal with vicious results.